Improvement in wood pavements



CLOSSON P. BURGESS.

Improvement in.Wo0d Pavement.

Patented Sep. 19,1871,

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.40: PimTa-urmmmw: a; ,v x lama/Mr PROCESS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLOSSON P; BURGESS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HHVISELF, EMMET STAFFORD, AND JAMES R. STEVEN SON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WOOD PAVEMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,010, dated September 19, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLossoN P. BURGESS, of the cityof Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Wooden Pavements; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of a pavement constructed of blocks of wood in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents one of the blocks detached.

My improvement in wooden pavements con sists in the construction and arrangement of uniformly-shaped blocks which will overlap each other in the transverse line of the street a distance along the one-half of their height and will leave an open space between them below their centers, and which may be used so as to produce the same configuration and arrangement when placed with either end upon the platform or base first laid down to receive the structure.

In the accompanying drawing, A denotes a base or platform laid upon a suitably-prepared street. B B denote the blocks of wood, which are of uniform size and shape. These blocks, made of rectangular timber, have two of their corners, a a,.removed or cut away from the upper ends to the centers or middle line .20 a', as represented in Fig. 2 of the drawing. They also have the two corners I) I) removed from their lower ends to the line a; .10; thus, the upper half and lower half of the blocks are constructed alike, but the removed corners at the lower half of each block are lateral to the removed corners of the upper half of the blocks. But it is apparent that these blocks may be placed in their just position in the pavement with either of their ends upon the platform. This formation of the blocks affords two very desirable and advantageous features in wood pavements which have their interstices filled in with cement or concrete. The upperhalf of corners a. a are overlapped, as rep resented in Fig. 1, while the lower corners b I), which are cut away, leave an open space to receive the cement between the blocks. The arrangement of the blocks is such as to leave a con tinuous open space transversely of the street between the several tiers which compose the pavement; but longitudinally the spaces are cut ofi by the overlapping corners a a, and, as the transverse arrangement is such as to break joints, the perfect corners c c at the bottom of the blocks do not come in contact with the blocks in rear or in front of them, and consequently the lower half of each block is surrounded with an open space into which cement can be introduced to perfectly key and preserve the pavement in its integrity.

The advantages of overlapping the blocks in the transverse line of the street are in furnishing a secure footing for horses, while the tendency of wearing the tiers of wood so as to form. ropes or poles is obviated.

It has been observed that the straight-edged continuous transverse tiers used in wood pavements become so worn or rounded 011: at their upper corners as to form what is technically called ropes or poles, and heavilyladen teams are found to flinch when traveling upon these old pavements.

The foundation of the base or platform upon which the base of the pavingblocks will rest may be made of planks or boards of any desired thickness, and these boards may be prepared with a coating of coal-tar or any other suitable material. The blocks will be arranged as described and represented in the drawing, when the spaces and openings will be filled up with any durable preparation of concrete or cement; but I prefer to use for this purpose the composition for which a patent was granted to me and James R. Stevenson February 14, 1871, and numbered 111,724, as it can be prepared in a semiliquid condition, so as to fill the spaces around the lower half of the paving-blocks, and its woodpreserving qualities will confer durability upon the structure.

Having fully described my improvement in pavements, I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- The paving-blocks B B, having their corners at a a and I) b removed, arranged to overlap in the transverse line of the street, and surrounded at their bases by open spaces to receive the ocment, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of July, A. D. 1871.

OLOSSON P. BURGESS.

' Witnesses:

H. S. MILLER, A. MOORE. 

